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The 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S ups output by 80 hp: Autoweek TV

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Also in this episode: Volkswagen goes green in Tennessee, and Mazda brings a diesel-powered 6 to America -- for the Rolex 24, that is.

TRANSCRIPT

-- The Rapide is back with more horsepower.

-- The sun shines on Volkswagen.

-- Mazda goes racing with diesel fuel.

I'm Greg. This is Autoweek TV.

Aston Martin has tuned up the Rapide for 2014. Now it's called the Rapide S, and the V12 pumps out 550 hp. That's up 80 horses from before and there are a few slight cosmetic changes. For example, the vertical grille elements are little less obvious now.

Deliveries start in June, and we'd expect the price will start around $200,000.

Speaking of more power, Volkswagen is going solar in Chattanooga, Tenn. They flipped the switch on Wednesday. The power captured from the sun comes in at 9.5 megawatts, and it can provide up to 13 percent of the total power of the plant when assembly lines are running.

When the lines aren't going, the whole place can run on solar. VW also uses solar power at two factories in Germany.

Finally, let's shift gears to diesel power. The Mazda 6 racecar will debut at the Rolex 24 this weekend running a SkyActiv diesel engine. This is a big deal. The 6 will compete in the Grand-Am GX class. Mazda has 23 class wins, so watch closely to see how diesel impacts its performance.

Stay with us all weekend for updates from Daytona. We'll have results and news as they occur. It may only be a 24 hour race, but for our editors its a 96 hour sprint to keep you up to date on everything going on in Florida.